A nice vise vice
I have a vice for vises. I enjoy hunting down and salvaging old and ugly Stanley 400 framing vises, restoring them to their former glory and making them look beautiful. I cannot resist. Hence, I have a vice for nice vises.
Patented in the 1880s, these vices were produced without design changes for 100 years. They are heavy, made of beautiful ductile cast iron and precision machined.
They're very easy to disassemble, clean, repaint, and relubricate. I like trying various 3-color schemes.
Pi, the Frame Shop puppy, 2017-2024
Pi grew up in the frame shop. She always politely greeted all customers and she quickly became a customer favorite. People would often stop by just to say hi to Pi and share their own rough collie stories from their childhood. One of Pi’s favorite shop chores was to simply watch the traffic and anticipate the next customer drop-in. She always loved to accompany any customer deliveries because that would usually mean some very positive attention.
Pi's stubbornness was adorable at first, but it could be quite challenging at times. We had to develop specific techniques to get her to cooperate when she was unwilling. Since she wasn't motivated by food, that approach was entirely ineffective. However, we discovered that Pi had an exceptional ability to understand intent. By explaining our intentions and requesting a compromise, we usually managed to gain her cooperation.
Sadly, Pi developed a very aggressive lymphoma and we had to euthanize her before her quality of life significantly declined. It was incredibly hard to lose her because she was so unique, and she was only seven years old.
Welcome Alysa!
We are thrilled to announce that Alysa Toov has joined our Northfield location. With a working background in custom picture framing shops, Alysa has a keen understanding of design and frame construction and creates a warm and inviting design environment.
She is a thoughtful designer, dedicated to meeting the unique needs and preferences of her customers.
Alysa appreciates all forms of art and loves hearing the stories behind her customers' projects. She holds a Master's degree in art history from the University of St. Thomas.
In her spare time, Alysa enjoys hiking, playing tennis, fly fishing, and spending quality time with her family.
The framing milk run…
Five years ago, our plan was to implement a 'spoke and hub' framing and printing production and delivery model. However, the pandemic changed everything, and now we have adopted a dynamic 'milk run' production and delivery model.
Each shop location (Red Wing, MN. Rochester, MN, Northfield, MN and Stockholm, WI) now contributes to the overall operation, offering unique project capabilities based on specific requirements. While this requires highly flexible production scheduling, it has significantly reduced overhead expenses.
For small businesses, survival means being agile and adaptable, ready to roll with the punches.
Welcome LaVanda!
We are so excited to have LaVanda Mireles joining our team in the Rochester shop!
LaVanda is a visual artist whose creative practice primarily focuses on mixed media collage, assemblage, and experimental printmaking using cyanotype. Her work highlights the elements and principles of design while exploring themes related to the human condition and our relationship with nature.
LaVanda studied painting and drawing at university and continues to hone her observational skills in figure drawing at the Rochester Art Center.
With many years of experience in designing and handling art in fine art picture frame shops, galleries, and museum settings, she connects with customers on a deep and meaningful level.
Fun fact: LaVanda was a member of the Regis University Rangers women’s volleyball team (a Division II program).
New Rochester Sign
This was a significant milestone for us. We upgraded our building sign to leverage our prime location on one of the busiest streets in downtown Rochester, Minnesota. Rochester Framing & Fine Art Printing is located at 400 Broadway Avenue South, Rochester, MN. Our neighboring businesses include Limb Lab, Cambria, and Winona State University - Rochester.
Northfield Framing update
We announced the move of our Northfield shop one block from our original location and the build out is now complete. We are very easy to find (and park!) at 105 East 4th Street, Northfield, MN (across the street from Domino’s Pizza!). Stop in and say hello!